


A Safe Place

by Apotheocrisy



Category: Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Butt Scooting, F/M, Trapped In Elevator, awkward ending I'm sorry, if there wasn't a tag for that before then there is now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-09 01:41:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3231479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apotheocrisy/pseuds/Apotheocrisy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Is there anyone near here we can call? I know Tierno's at the PR studio, and Calem has a room in Hotel Richissme..." Shauna's voice trails off as a cheeky grin spreads across her face. "But I can think of a certain Pokemon Professor who you might be more happy to see!"</p><p>A blush spreads across Serena's face at the mention of Sycamore. She's had a crush on him ever since they first met. Her best friend is more than aware of this fact and is perfectly happy to tease her about her affections when she has the opportunity. It's actually kind of practical to call him, ask if she can perhaps stay on one of the cots usually reserved for sick Pokemon. Champion or not, she has a lot of free time on her hands and the professor has a lot of work that needs to be done. With three Pokemon on her main team that can Mega Evolve and several others in her PC boxes, as well as a Mega Ring to trigger the evolution, Serena and her Pokemon were a natural choice for Sycamore to study.</p><p>And if she gets to sneak the occasional peek at his butt when his back is turned to her, well, who is she to complain?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Safe Place

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in an alternate timeline where it took several years for the events of X and Y to happen, not several weeks (or, if you're me, one sleepless night).
> 
> Completely unbeta'd. All mistakes are my own. Am still not entirely happy with the ending, so I might go back and edit it later.

"Rena, how are you going to get home?."

The party at Boutique Couture to celebrate Shauna's latest fashion line has been winding down all evening until finally,  _finally,_ Serena feels that she can leave without abandoning her best friend in a crowd of fans. Even though large groups of people are Shauna's forte, Serena wants to be supportive of her friend. It's an important night for Shauna, which means it's important that Serena be there to show her that someone's got her back.

"It'll be fiiiine, Shaunee! I'll take a cab back to my building," replies the Champion in an attempt to placate her friend. They both know very well that Serena's apartment is on the other side of Lumiose and getting there will require at least five minutes of tipsy tottering in heels from Sushi High Roller. One look from the shorter girl tells Serena that she won't be allowed to leave on her own. 

"Is there anyone near here we can call? I know Tierno's at the PR studio, and Calem has a room in Hotel Richissme..." Shauna's voice trails off as a cheeky grin spreads across her face. "But I can think of a certain Pokemon Professor who you might be more happy to see!"

A blush spreads across Serena's face at the mention of Sycamore. She's had a crush on him ever since they first met. Her best friend is more than aware of this fact and is perfectly happy to tease her about her affections when she has the opportunity. It's actually kind of practical to call him, ask if she can perhaps stay on one of the cots usually reserved for sick Pokemon. Champion or not, she has a lot of free time on her hands and the professor has a lot of work that needs to be done. With three Pokemon on her main team that can Mega Evolve and several others in her PC boxes, as well as a Mega Ring to trigger the evolution, Serena and her Pokemon were a natural choice for Sycamore to study.

And if she gets to sneak the occasional peek at his butt when his back is turned to her, well, who is she to complain?

While she is lost in her thoughts, Shauna reaches into her bag for her Holo Caster and, before Serena can protest, calls Professor Sycamore. When Serena realizes what she's doing, she shakes her head frantically in hopes of getting her friend to hang up.

 _"Bonsoir,_ _Shauna! How is your party going?"_ Sycamore's voice is cheery as usual, Serena notices, picturing the smile that normally accompanies this tone.  _"Mes sincères excuses pour mon absence! Garchomp came down with a touch of a fever, and I did not want to leave her too long."_

"Well, if you're busy with Garchomp-" starts Serena, before Shauna cuts her off. "Rena had a bit too much to drink and I don't want her going home alone. Is there any way you could escort her? I would, but I need to help clean up here at the boutique."

Mortified, she resigns herself to her fate.

 _"Absolutely not."_ A part of her heart sinks.  _"If you believe she shouldn't go home alone, then I'm inclined to agree with you! Fear not. I have an apartment on the fourth floor, where Serena is more than welcome to stay. Would you two meet me outside the boutique in five minutes?"_

It takes her a moment to realize that Professor Sycamore just invited her to spend the night in his house. 

"Of course! Thank you so much for going out of your way, Professor!" Shauna ends their conversation, stashes her Holo Caster back in her bag, and grins at Serena devilishly. "Excited to spend a night with your"-here she adopts a thick Kalosian accent-"beloved Augustine?"

Serena's only response is a furious blush and a huff of "Shauna!"

\---

The five minute wait lasts both a lifetime and a heartbeat. But then suddenly Sycamore's waving at them, goofy smile plastered across his face, and Serena flushes and smiles back. Shauna elbows her and whispers "have  _fuuuun!_ " before pushing her gently towards the professor. The Champion swats her best friend playfully and totters towards him.

"Thank you for coming to get me," squeaks Serena, praying her voice sounds at least slightly normal. 

"It's my pleasure!" replies Sycamore, reaching out to steady her when she stumbles on an uneven patch of the sidewalk. Serena does her best not to explode when she feels his hand on her shoulder. 

He chats happily about the beautiful night during the short walk back to Sycamore Pokemon Lab. She has absolutely no idea what he's saying, instead realizing how completely and utterly screwed she is.

When they enter, he presses the button to call the elevator. The power flickers momentarily, but is back on within seconds and the elevator lets out a soft ding as its doors slide open. Serena steps into the elevator first, accidentally brushing her arm against his lab coat. Subsequently she wonders if he ever takes the coat off and bites down hard on her lower lip to get her thoughts off that particular track. He presses the button for the fourth floor-Serena realizes she's never actually been up to the fourth floor-and the elevator closes and begins its ascent.

There is a sudden jolt as the elevator stops moving between the second and third floors, making the Champion lose her balance and tumble to the floor with a sickening crunch. "Of all the times for a power outage," murmurs the professor. He had managed to stay upright.

Serena nods shakily without realizing he won't see the movement. Being in an elevator isn't horrible by itself when the elevator is actually working. Being stuck in an elevator, on the other hand, is frightening for Serena. She sighs audibly in relief when the back-up generator kicks in and a dull light illuminates the elevator.

"Are you alright?" asks Sycamore, turning to face her with concern on his face. He extends his hand to help her stand up, an offer Serena gratefully accepts. The handbag she once held had done nothing to cushion her fall...and when she opened it to make sure her belongings were in order, she realized what the source of the crunch she'd heard earlier was. "My Holo Caster!" gasps Serena, pulling out the device. Its screen had thoroughly cracked, and some of the shards of the plastic screen were now lodged in the circuit board directly underneath it. The Holo Caster refuses to turn on.

Seeing Serena's device prompts the professor to check his own pockets for his personal Holo Caster. He groans when he finds nothing, remembering exactly where he'd left it-on his desk after Shauna called, when he'd forgotten to pick it back up.

Serena throws her head back in frustration and sinks back down to the floor. "Care to join me?" she jokes to Professor Sycamore, who gracefully sits on the opposite side of the elevator.  

"So," she starts.

"So," the professor echoes.

She chuckles. "What's so funny?" asks Sycamore, quirking an eyebrow.

"...yes?"

"That wasn't even a yes-or-no question!"

Both Serena and Sycamore burst into laughter at the same time.

"What should we do?" asks Serena after they've recovered from their giggle fit.

"To pass the time?" clarifies the professor, and Serena nods in response. He pauses before confessing he has no ideas.

It's Serena, after a quiet moment between the two, who gets the idea. "You could tell me about yourself," she suggests. "I know next to nothing about you!"

Another pause. Sycamore realizes that this is indeed true. "I'm really very boring, you know," he deflects. "Shall we go back and forth? With questions, I mean."

Sitting up attentively, Serena calls dibs on going first. "How old are you, anyway?"

He blanches, realizing she's serious. "Old enough to be your father?" tries the professor. She huffs. "I'm thirty-seven," he says with a smile. "I'm an old man, non?"

"Do you really think you're old?" asks the Champion, an eyebrow raised. "You aren't. I'm abnormally young! A Trainer at fifteen, Savior of Kalos at seventeen, league Champion at nineteen...and now I'm twenty-one and I'm drunk and I'm in an elevator with..." Her voice trails off as she realizes what she was about to say out loud. She blushes furiously and hides her head in her hands.

"With...?" prods Sycamore cautiously.

"You!" grumbles Serena, waving one hand in his direction.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" he continues.

She lets out a hollow chuckle before continuing. "I'm afraid that if I told you, I'd either explode or melt into a puddle and drip down the elevator shaft," says Serena honestly, looking back up at the professor. He meets her eyes briefly, then looks away.

"Please don't," he says weakly. "Blood tends to stain white clothing, and I'm rather fond of this lab coat." At that they both chuckle nervously.

"You want to know?" she asks quietly. He nods. "I've...had a ridiculous crush on you since we first met," confesses Serena in one breath before she can convince herself not to. She smiles at the memory of their meeting, of his challenge to a battle and then his gracious defeat. Burying her face behind her hair, she whispers an apology for dropping this on him now of all possible times. 

His response is just as quiet. "Don't be sorry for the truth, Serena," he quips. Hesitantly, he reaches across the elevator and sprawls his hand on the floor, crossing the invisible halfway line so that he's on her side of the elevator. It takes a full minute for him to work up the courage to say "You know, if you're going to sleep in an elevator, you should at least have something of a pillow."

She looks up at him hopefully. He smiles and pats the floor next to him. They both blink.

Serena hopes that her smile can somehow distract the professor from the awkward butt-scoot she performs across the elevator as she snuggles under his arm.

**Author's Note:**

> [Feel free to yodel at me!](http://omegadiancie.tumblr.com/)


End file.
